Online safety & content laws in Samoa (2026)

The Crimes Act 2013 is Samoa's primary instrument addressing online conduct. Section 219 criminalises electronic harassment (up to five years' imprisonment); separate provisions cover child sexual abuse material and unauthorised access to computer systems, but there is no stand-alone cybercrime or computer-crimes act.

The Telecommunications Act 2005 establishes the Office of the Regulator to license and oversee internet service providers, manage spectrum, and set tariffs. It does not address online content moderation or platform liability.

Samoa has no laws imposing content-moderation duties on online platforms, no age-verification requirements, and no equivalent to the EU DSA or UK Online Safety Act. A Supreme Court judge has publicly called on the government to require ISPs to block pornographic and harmful content, noting the current legal gap.

Australia's Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program is supporting Samoa's Office of the Attorney-General in reviewing and reforming its cybercrime and electronic-evidence legislation to align with Budapest Convention standards; Samoa has expressed intent to formally accede but has not yet done so.

A 2024 UNCTAD study conducted with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat identified significant gaps in Samoa's cyberlaw framework, including incomplete coverage of electronic transactions, data protection, and cybersecurity, and urged legal reform to support the region's digital economy.

The Privacy Act 2013 establishes data-processing principles and designates an Office of the Privacy Commissioner, providing a limited layer of personal-data protection online, but it does not extend to platform content-moderation obligations.